Sunday, September 21, 2008

Eighteen illegal immigrants were being housed in a Tucson home with the air conditioning turned off by suspected human traffickers, according to a Arizona Department of Public Safety news release.

One of the 18 told detectives he hadn't been fed for several days. All were given medical help after detectives raided the house Sept. 15.

The immigrants, picked up at the Mexico-Arizona border, were to have been transported to Atlanta, Chicago and New York, according to a DPS news release.

Detectives from the Pima/Santa Cruz Investigations Squad, which specializes in human smuggling, said the 18 were fed bologna and bread once a day in the unfurnished house at 6107 S. Earp Wash Lane, near Alvernon Way and Valencia Road.

The house was being investigated as a possible marijuana stash house. But after detectives stopped a rental car leaving the residence with four illegal immigrants and an alleged human smuggler, detectives obtained a search warrant.

Two of the immigrants, women ages 17 and 27, said they has been sexually assaulted. Tucson police are investigating those claims, the news release said.

Five suspects are in the custody of the Border Patrol; four are being held as material witnesses.

One suspect is a U.S. citizen facing 18 counts of human smuggling and four counts of money laundering.